Eye to Eye: Brothers
by x. E d w a r d .x
Summary: Ed and Al see eye to eye as brothers, they face differences, get in fights, and resolve problems, they work together. They see...Eye to Eye.
1. Chapter 1: High Spirits

**E y e . t o . E y e**  
Rated T for Teen  
(For blood and language)**  
**

- : Ed and Al see eye to eye as brothers, they face differences, get in fights, and resolve problems, work together. They see eye to eye. : -

**_Chapter One - High Spirits_**

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It was a world like nothing they had ever imagined. This place called Munich. Located somewhere inside this country called Germany. But it had been quite a few years, and this place had grown familiar. Though, a year back, a boy named Edward Elric recalled the incident with the Thule Society, but it was over now. The Elric brothers had decided to team up and travel again, after what had happened to Alphons Heidrich. Every single time those two boys returned home, it was like being greeted by a family, even if there was not family there to greet them anymore. 

"Uuugh...I hate this, Al..." Mutter the eldest teen, Edward. The nineteen year old, who had once worked under a man named 'Roy Mustang', sat down at the kitchen table, and hunched over, resting his head upon the wooden surface.

The one Edward had called 'Al', turned and gave his older brother a weary, encouraging smile. Alphonse Elric was his full name, brother by blood to Ed. He traveled around the wooden table and to the kitchen counter to begin to prepare and make food for the two of them.

"Now, Ed...you're thinking pessimistically, again. I mean, c'mon, brother...think positively. I'm sure things will turn out eventually." Alphonse assured his brother. Those two had been studying a lead that may take them home. Though they had promised to let go of it, to just move on and live here, those brothers were stubborn, and broke that promise. Ed and Al had just returned from the library.

It was true that it seemed like the brothers were having no progress at all, but they vowed never to give up. Digging into the fridge, his hand paused at the jug of milk in front of him and thought better of it. To be honest, the younger teen was surprised Edward hadn't tossed it out by now. Instead, he grabbed some left overs, hoping Ed wouldn't mind.

But as Al turned, he heard a knocking sound, and cast his glance to his brother. "Al...tell me why we went back to studying alchemy? I mean...it's pointless and useless!" He said, knocking his head against the wooden surface, grunting loudly, showing off the fact that he was tired and careless. It was late, and it was to be expected. But something was wrong with this picture; when was Ed the type to give up so easily? "There's only a select few books we can even read from and half of it's a pile of bullshit!" Ed said groaning. His stomach joined the groan with a loud growl.

Alphonse sweat dropped at his brother's words, giving a sympathetic grin to Ed as he started heating up the chicken. "We can't give up, though, brother...I mean, you could use alchemy before, remember? When we first opened the gate." He went to grab something to drink for them, faltering at his own words, own memories that came back to him. All that had happened...everyone that had been killed because he'd opened the gate...it had been so long, felt even longer after he'd gotten his memories back, but none the less it still haunted the boy. He gave a small shake of his head, a grin as he fetched out the milk and a few other bottles, setting them on the table. "Anyways, I'm sure we'll find something."

Ed's eyes tried to look to where the milk was set down, but that required moving his whole head. So through his current laziness, he lifted his head, eyes glaring at the milk. "I sure hope that milk

not for _me_..." His glared deepened as he made a sour face at the milk. The older teen desperately **despised** milk, and most of the dairy produce, but even more so, he hated the milk itself. What people never understood was _why_ he hated it. Maybe it tasted weird? Maybe it was the place on a cow it came from...one would never know.

Al looked slightly startled at the question, a grin sheepishly attaching to his lips. He hesitantly moved the milk closer to his side of the table, relieved to hear Ed's sigh of relief. "Huh? Oh...heheh, don't worry Ed, it's...it's not for you." He said with another sweat drop to hang from the back of his head. "U-uh..." Al pressed to a different topic, "You know, brother...maybe we should travel just a little further, I mean, what's the harm of it? So what if we don't find anything, we'll just keep trying." The boy pulled out the leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, frowning slightly. It had been a long while since those two had actually stumbled across something that was useful to them...and...well, it was looking grim, like the more they searched, the more it looked like wouldn't be able to use alchemy again.

Edward shifted so his head was resting against the wooden finish of the kitchen table top. "Perhaps. But we'll have to look further into it when we have the time. Plus...we have no car or anything, and honestly...I'm getting sick of walking. And don't you even DARE...call me lazy, Al!!" Ed growled, making a fist before a long sigh escaped his mouth, letting his hand become limp and fall to the table. He pushed himself back up, putting himself into a sitting position in his wood-bound chair and letting out a slight grunt. "If only this world had actually went and developed alchemy, then maybe, just maybe we'd be able to use it. It's so different...yet so close to our original home." Ed said, eyes cast to Al while he pulled the food out of the heated contraption known as an 'oven'.

These were the roaring 1920s, the years where of the Industrial Revolution in many of the countries in the world. And right about now, Germany was a big factor in it. While the wars were proceeding, and the Holocaust were still in movement, slowly progressing on...the boys were still clueless in what they were planning to do in the near future if they never did succeed in returning. Hell, they didn't even know what they were going to do if they _did_ happen to succeed. So, here they were, back to studying rocketry and alchemy ad the near same time.

"Y...yeah, I guess you're right." Al mumbled with a sigh, snatching bread from the counter, and placing the plates in front of his brother. "But, Ed...what do we do now?" Slowly, he dropped into his own chair, staring down into his plate. This world, it was so...so different. He remembered the first time he'd turned and seen himself older and...different, lying dead. Over time, he adjusted, but he never gave up hope that maybe...they'd find a way back _home_.

Now Ed, being 19, still had this childish tendency to talk with his mouth full. Shrugging, he did just that. With a mouth full of chicken, he spoke, saying, "I'm not sure, Al," he swallowed, closing just one eye and grinning, his fork pointed at Al. "But, I'm sure we'll find something. Just give me time to locate another book on alchemy or something."

Alphonse gave a light nod and another weary sigh, poking his fork around his food. Ed was right, he guessed they'd just have to keep going, do what they did best...move forward. Move forward, and walk, hoping that maybe...just maybe, things...would turn out...

"Alright." He said, trying to his best to sound optimistic. His brother needed the pushing to get him to his feet faster. The boy had a tendency to fall to his knees at certain times, so Al would always be there to push him to his feet again.

But...it had been the oddest thing; this last year. Alphonse might've been abe to eat and sleep, breath and touch, and for three years even, but...before, he hadn't remember just how desperately he missed it. All these sensations suddenly became a new fragrance to his life style, and even after a whole year or so after regaining his old memories, it was still nice to be able to sit down, feel the silverware between his fingers, and taste the food he missed for so long...ever if things weren't at their highest points...

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_**A/N**: Well, ain't is grand? It's my very first fanfic on this particular account. I'm so glad I have Mozilla FireFox, it's so helpful for finding spelling errors!! My computer's a retard, so it doesn't have Microsoft Word Processor, which, evidently, pisses me off. -.- Hi! OwO  
_


	2. Chapter 2: So Confusing, These Notes :I:

**E y e . t o . E y e**  
Rated T for Teen  
(For blood and language)

- : Ed and Al see eye to eye as brothers, they face differences, get in fights, and resolve problems, work together. They see eye to eye. : -

**_Chapter Two - So Confusing, These Notes _-Part One-**

* * *

Bite after bite, quickly being stuffed into his mouth, Ed shoveled in the food like the pig he was. And as usual, finished soon after he had even started. Picking up his plate, he moved to the sink, pushing the chair back with his legs, then carefully placing it into the sink, rinsing it. Shutting the water off, he dried his hands with the kitchen towel rag, and stretched, walking over to Alphonse. "Nnnnnnnyaaaawn," he yawned, obviously. Dropping his left hand, he set his right, mechanical on his younger brother's shoulder and smiled warmly, assuringly. Almost as if his hand was sending a vibe that said, "Thanks for the food" and also, too, as a way to comfort the boy. "I'm gonna get some sleep, Al. I'll be up in my room...I'm..." He yawned again, and finished, "I meant to say, I'm awfully **tired**." 

"Alright, brother...Night." Alphonse gave the older boy a weary grin as Ed left to his room, before his head turned back down to his unfinished food. It was definitely getting late, and Ed was right to go to bed now...and Al knew that in the end, even if they were stuck here, they were at least together. A small smile crept to his lips, his eyes becoming distant as he thought. After two full years of everyone telling him that Ed was gone for good, after two years of searching, studying...training...they had actually found a way back...

* * *

Now, this was _Edward_. He was known for attempting all-nighters when it came to research, yet about 80 percent of the time, he failed miserably at that. And so he had a tendency to lie about what he was really going to do. Thankfully, the brothers each had a room to themselves rather than sharing one together. So Ed said his lie, carefully, and managed to get by Al without him suspecting him. Going up the stairs with a fake yawn that seemed real, the boy headed to his room quickly, but quietly. Entering his room, he took off his coat and threw it int the corner of the room and sat at his work desk. A few rocket pieces, some bolts and nuts and even some screws lay around his desk. With a soft grunt and sigh, he pushed them out of the way as he shut off the room's main light. What remained was a dully lit desk lamp, placed in the corner. 

He flipped the switch, light barely emitting from the bulb, but it was enough for the blonde to make out the words in a book, or to write down notes he got from research.

Though, Ed and Al were studying together, Ed had been studying a more...advanced way back, one that only someone with a true understanding would be able to decipher. Moving towards the wall nearest the window, but not the actual wall with the window in it, he pulled out a small section of the wall, revealing a secret compartment he had made, years back.

This was Ed though. He constantly studied in secret. So that there wouldn't be even more stress than needed for Al to worry about. Ed never gave up. And it was true. With a sigh, he pulled several books and papers out of the compartment, along with a lead pencil, and popped the wall back into it's spot. Moving back to his desk, Edward Elric sat down with a sigh and placed the mass amount of notes he had written over the years. But those were complimentary, meaning they had no true value.

About a year and a half ago, the older boy had visited an ancient library, lined with books that most people never thought to have ever existed. But they did. An old, hard back covered book, with many pages ripped out or torn slightly, the corners bent as markers, and a golden tint to the pages to show its true age, was in front of Ed now. In this old book, many different philosophers and alchemist from the 9th century all the way to the 14th and 15th century had owned and wrote their notes into. It was Ed's turn to read this large book and find the truth about the perishing alchemy on this side of the Gate.

Edward opened the book to any page, and upon doing so, he stumbled across some hard to read notes about the alchemy here. "Albedo?" He asked no one in particular, just the air around him. He held a finger to the word '_Albedo (alchemy)_' and squinted to read what the page had to say.

_"Albedo is one of the four major stages of alchemy; along with **nigredo**,** citrinitas **and **rubedo**. It is a Latinicized term meaning "__whiteness" and follows the __nigredo stage. Following the harrowing, chaotic __nigredo, it is necessary for __purification provided by the __albedo which is literally referred to as **ablutio**; the washing away of impurities by aquavitae."_

Ed's face twisted into a frown. When did alchemy have ANY thing to do about this stuff? Ed looked up a moment, as if to think about something. "Hm..." Sighing slightly, he closed his eyes a moment before opening them again and looking to the scribbles on the paper of the book. He began to slide his finger down the lines of text, continuing to read to himself.

_"Nigredo, or blackness, in alchemy means **putrefaction** or **decomposition**. The alchemists believed that as a first step in the pathway to the __philosopher's stone all alchemical ingredients had to be cleansed and cooked extensively to a uniform black matter."_

Edward fumed a moment. None of this was making sense to him, yet it was making perfect sense at the same time. "Damn it..." He whispered, turning his head to the door. He needed to rest, but in all honesty, he couldn't. Too much was going through his mind to even relax his own muscles. Edward began to jot stuff down on the paper, desperate to make sense of these notes. Honestly, Ed was glad he had stumbled across these, or else he may never have discovered this.

Edward turned back to the page, seeing many drawings, pictures of what the alchemists of that time thought to be the structure of a human. Ingredients were also jotted down, as Ed read to himself the apparent key _elements_ and _ingredients_ to making a **Philosopher's Stone**.

Flipping the page, a soft crunch was heard as Ed patted down the old yellow pages. He continued reading, more notes explaining more stuff, just as confusing as the previous excerpts.

_"Citrinitas, or sometimes referred to as __xanthosis is a term given by 15th and 16th century alchemists to "__yellowness". It **was** one of the four major stages of the** alchemical opus**, and literally referred to "__transmutation of silver into gold" or "__yellowing of the lunar conscientiousness". In alchemical philosophy, __citrinitas stood for the dawning of the "solar light" inherent in one's being, and that the reflective "__lunar or soul light" was no longer necessary."_

"Alchemical...opus? Hm..." He mumbled softly to himself. He jotted those words and sentences, and many diagrams and diaphrams. Charts and symbols. So many things to write down and try to figure out; to decipher.

_"Rubedo is a Latin word meaning "__redness" that was adopted by 15th and 16th century alchemists to define the fourth major stage in the "__alchemical opus" in achieving **enlightened consciousness **and **the total fusion of spirit and matter**. The three alchemical stages preceding __rubedo were __nigredo (blackness) which represented putrefication and spiritual death, __albedo (whiteness) which represented purification, and thirdly __citrinitas (yellowness); the solar dawn or awakening."_ After that, many pages were blank, before it came to even more old notes. The notes were scattered within the book, and the book itself was hundreds of years old, well over 600 years of age. 

With a yawn, Ed pulled out his pocket watch, the one he bought at the pawn shop, and read the time. It had been hours since ascending to his bedroom. With another yawn, he pushed the notes and closed the book, pushing it, too, to the edge of the desk. He muttered a few words, saying, "Only for a few minutes..." And like that, the boy was asleep, pulled into the world of dreams and fantasies.

Meanwhile, Alphonse had dumped his food, and poured out the rest of his milk, washing the dishes as he thought. Afterwards, Al dried his hands and he too went upstairs. "Hm..." He breathed as he walked back Ed's bedroom door. _Maybe I'll study a little more and see if I can find any info that could be useful._ He thought hastily. Walking past Ed's door, he went into his own room and pulled out a few book he and Ed had checked out from the library. 

It was hours before the boy had nearly fallen asleep on his desk too. But, as his head fell to the table, he made a loud thud and shot his head up, looking around nervously for a moment. Letting out a long sigh, the boy stood up and stretched. Maybe he should go check up on Ed? Make sure he's doing okay. Al knew Ed was fine for the most part. But in the last few months, Ed had been having "horrible nightmares", as Edward had put it. But, no matter how hard Al pushed his brother to tell him about them, Ed refused and lied that he was fine; that it had only been a dream and nothing more.

Honestly, Ed needed to work on his lying skills. Alphonse sighed as he exited his room and tip-toed his way to Ed's room. "...Ed?" He whispered, just to see if Ed was awake as he cautiously opened the door. No response, but what Al found was more than enough to tell him that Ed had been hiding a secret from him...

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_End **Chapter Two**._

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_**A/N:** Aw, damn. I'm on a writing SPREE! WHEEEEE! Anyways, enough of that randomness. How are you all liking this story? -Grin- I'm real happy about it. Lately, I've done some MAJOR research, looking this stuff up. Anyways, I'd appreciate it GREATLY if you would all comment this story, give some encouraging criticism. I mean, if you think there's anything that might help and contribute to the story, feel free to tell me. I'm glad I've got any comments as it is since I'm new here. Heh. OwO;_


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